.com.unity Forums - I just gave up...untill next time

I can't beat the bLasted AI. I won my very first gane of SEIV Gold I played. I was the stock Amonkrie I think. They had an Ice/CO2? homeworld.
Now I have tried and lost about 10 games since then, using the latest TDM mod pack.
My Last game settings:
-Large med age spiral
-Events low/med
-AI random empires/med number/hard diff/no bonus
-Tech med cost
-home planet good/1/rock/methane (me)
-5000 racial pts

I thought I had this game won in the first 20 turns (2.0 yrs). I found the Ice colonizer tech on turn 6 on the first planet I colonized. I found the Gas colony tech at turn 14 in the next system. HOLY crap I thought. This isn't even worth playing. I'll wipe them out.

I chose ancient race and organics as two of my attributes. I also had reasearchers as a trait(+5) research. I added points towards research, maint shipyards.
I expanded pretty far out and had a corner all tied up with only 4 warp points to cover. I have only met 3 races so far (Turn 122). The cylons-Shadows-Rage.

On the western edge I had Cylons(upper-w one warp Pt)-Shadows middle (one WP)- and Shadows/Rage again(lower one WPt each)and Rage down a 4 planet string on the eastern edge.

I first met the Cylons and offered them a trade treaty which they accepted. Then while going down a string of planets on the "right" side of the galaxy I met the Rage. I sent my scout thru to the next system where he got clobbered by the unfeeling drones. I quickly made mines to controll the warps between me and the shadows and the Rage. But it just took to damn long for me to get ships and mine to the three critical warp points. The rage came at me with 35 ships and wiped out a Huge green+ planet,in the boarder system, that was protected with 50+ mines a few large WPs and about a dozen technally superior ships.

At the same time the shadows wipe me out on the western upper WPt with about 40 ragtag ships. I did mangae to contain them but only after losing a system.
My diagnosis was I did not have enough ship builing cap close to the front lines. None near the eastern Rage line. My (3) home systems Starting one + two locals, were also surrounded by 5 empty systems. This made a huge gap between rear bases and forward bases. Early on I was forced to research propulsion to lvl 4 to be sure my ships could make it.

I think I could got back 20 turns-no auto saves- and stave off the Rage and Shadws untill my fleet in the south western corner could out flank the Rage coming from the west. Hmmm maybe